Selectboard

V.S.A. tit. 24 Appendix, ch. 127, subch. 5

in effect

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 127, § 501 Powers and duties

501. Powers and duties (a) The members of the Selectmen shall constitute the legislative body of the Town of Middlebury for all purposes required by statutes, and except as otherwise herein specifically provided, and shall have all powers and authority given to and perform all duties required of town legislative bodies or Selectboards under the Constitution and laws of the State of Vermont. (b) Within the limitations of the foregoing, the Selectboard shall have the power to: (1) Appoint and remove the Town Manager and supervise, create, change, and abolish offices, commissions, or departments other than the offices, commissions, or departments established by this charter or by law. The Selectboard may create, supervise, change, and abolish a water commission. The Selectboard may prescribe the duties of all offices, commissions, or departments created by them. (2) Assign additional duties to officers, commissions, or departments established by this charter, but may not discontinue or assign to any other office, commission, or department duties assigned to a particular office, commission, or department established by this charter or by law. (3) Appoint members of all boards, commissions, committees, or similar bodies unless specifically provided otherwise by this charter or by law. (4) Make, amend, and repeal ordinances in compliance with section 107 of this charter. (5) Inquire into the conduct of any officer, commission, or department and investigate any and all municipal affairs when deemed necessary for the proper and orderly conduct of Town government. (6) The Selectboard shall submit an annual budget to the voters, to be voted on at Town meeting, in accordance with the provisions of the charter dealing with the budget. (7) Exercise each and every other power not specifically set forth herein, but that is granted to the Selectboard by the statutes of the State of Vermont. (8) Attend all meetings of all boards or agencies of the Town, whether executive or public, together with the right to speak at such meetings, but not to vote.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 127, § 502 Organization

502. Organization (a) Forthwith after their election and qualification, the Selectboard shall organize and elect a Chair and Vice Chair by a majority vote of the entire Board. (b) The Chair of the Board, or in his or her absence, the Vice Chair, shall preside at all meetings of the Board and shall be recognized as the head of the Town government for all ceremonial purposes.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 127, § 503 Meetings

503. Meetings (a) As soon as possible after the election of the Chair and Vice Chair, the Board shall fix the time and place of its regular meetings and such meetings shall be held at least twice a month. (b) The Board shall determine its own rules and order of business. (c) If there are five Selectboard members, three shall constitute a quorum. No action of such Board shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of at least three Selectboard members. If the Board is expanded to seven Selectboard members, four shall constitute a quorum and no action of such Board shall be valid or binding unless adopted by the affirmative vote of at least four Selectboard members. In cases where State law requires a greater fraction of the authorized board for an affirmative vote than as specified above, such provisions of State law shall control. (d) All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public unless by an affirmative vote of the majority of the members of the entire Board they shall vote a portion of a session to be an executive session. Executive sessions are only for deliberation and all issues shall be voted on at a public meeting of the Board in order to be valid and legal. (e) The agenda of the Selectboard meetings shall be made available to the public at least 24 hours prior to the meeting and posted in one public place. (f) Any members of the Board may add items of business to the written agenda upon commencement of the meeting, provided that a majority of the membership of the entire Board vote to add such items of the agenda.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 127, § 504 Record of proceedings

504. Record of proceedings (a) It shall be the duty of the Selectboard to keep an official record of its proceedings that shall be open for public inspection. (b) The minutes of each meeting shall be approved by the Selectboard. The official copy shall be filed in the Town Clerk’s office and copies in the public library in East Middlebury and the Ilsley Library.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 127, § 505 Appointments

505. Appointments (a) The Selectboard may appoint commissions or committees as needed. (b) Jurisdiction over other officers and employees. Neither the Selectboard nor any of its members shall direct or request the appointment, by any officer or employee of the Town, of any person to office or employment, or his or her suspension or removal therefrom, or in any manner take part in the appointment, discipline, or removal of subordinates and employees of the Town, except as otherwise provided in this charter. The Selectboard and its members shall deal with that position of the service of the Town for which the Manager is responsible solely through the Town Manager, and neither the Selectboard nor any of its members shall give any orders or request any action by a subordinate in office. This shall not be construed to prohibit the Selectboard from recommending to the Town Manager a prospective employee for his or her consideration and making general complaints to the Town Manager or to department heads.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 127, § 506 Compensation

506. Compensation (a) The auditors shall fix the compensation of the members of the Selectboard, unless the Town has voted to eliminate the Office of Auditor pursuant to 17 V.S.A. § 2651b, in which case the Town may fix the compensation of the members of the Selectboard at an annual meeting. If the Town has voted to eliminate the Office of Auditor and the voters fail to fix the Selectboard’s compensation, the members of the Selectboard shall be compensated at the rate at which they were compensated during the immediately preceding year. (b) Except as provided in subsections 506(a) and 704(l) of this charter, the Selectboard shall fix the compensation of all elected officers and all officers appointed by them. An elected official may notify the Selectboard in writing, at least 50 days before the annual meeting, that he or she wishes his or her compensation fixed by the Town, and the Selectboard shall insert an article in the warning to that effect. If so warned, the Town may fix the compensation of that elected official for the balance of his or her term of office or for such shorter period as the Town may vote. Amended 2015, No. M-12, § 2, eff. May 26, 2015.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24APPENDIX/127Fetched: 10/21/2026